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Lewis was brought to Bristol Royal Infirmary, where doctors fought to keep him alive.

And thanks for Rachelle’s quick actions, Lewis, who is dad to Ava-Lily, managed to survive, with only a few side effects.

Lewis said he had little memory of the incident, but was “forever grateful” to Rachelle, whom he now calls a friend.

He said: “I had no idea anything was wrong with me. I’m pretty healthy and active – I was cycling five miles a day along the Bridgwater and Taunton Canal back then, to keep fit – but the doctors tell me I had a blockage in one of the valves in my heart.

“I’m so thankful to Rachelle – I don’t really know how to put it into words, but it means I get to see my five-year-old daughter grow up. Things could’ve been so different if I had parked outside anyone else’s house that night, or even I’d been there a week earlier, before Rachelle learned first aid.

“Thanks to Rachelle, my little girl still has a dad.”

Lewis's daughter Ava-Lily thanks Rachelle for saving her dad's life

Rachelle said: “I literally went from doing CPR on a dummy during the day to doing it for real, putting my new skills into practice on a person that night. It was surreal. I’ve got friends who volunteer for St John Ambulance or work as lifeguards and they’ve never had to do this.

“I’m just glad I was in the right place at the right time and ready to help him.”